House one step closer to getting to work as members sworn in
Sarah Westwood
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After a week of paralysis, the House will soon operate again as members take their oaths of office and decide on a set of rules to govern the next Congress.
The delay in electing Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker prevented the House from starting business on day one for the first time in more than a century.
McCarthy’s struggle to lock down votes delayed the swearing-in ceremony for dozens of new members of both parties — many of whom had brought their families to Washington for the occasion.
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Those members dropped the “-elect” from their representative titles late Friday night after McCarthy at last secured enough votes to become speaker.
Shortly after he addressed the House and took his own oath as speaker, he swore in members en masse on the floor.
That kicked off the official beginning of the 118th Congress, a long-awaited start that will grant members access to things that remained off-limits during the chaos.
Lawmakers will be able to access secure facilities in which to discuss classified information, for example, and move forward with legislative processes requiring access to classified documents.
They will be able to intervene in an official capacity on cases brought to them by constituents, including cases that require members’ offices to contact federal agencies on behalf of voters.
And lawmakers can now finally decide on a set of rules to govern House business, from matters as significant as the amendment process to those as routine as ending pandemic-era proxy voting.
The contours of that rules package remained at the heart of the debate over McCarthy’s speakership for months.
As the days of negotiating and bickering dragged on this week, McCarthy conceded to a number of conservative demands regarding House rules. He reinstated a rule that could trigger a vote of no confidence against him anytime a single member wishes, for example, and gave up key committee slots to conservative members who wanted more influence over legislation.
The rules package will be considered on Monday.
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McCarthy’s accession kicks off a Congress that will likely feature heavy infighting from the fractured conference, particularly now that conservatives have amassed more power over operations.
One of the first things Republicans have pledged to do is start multiple investigations of the Biden administration and go after some of its most recognizable villains on the Right, including Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-MI) argued that the GOP conference will come out stronger after the drawn-out speaker fight.
“I’m thankful for the outcome because I do think that we are in a healthier place going through this difficult process than we would have been if we had not gone through it,” Huizenga told the Washington Examiner.
“We’ve been tested, we’ve been able to come together and rally around some commonalities. And I think that’s a very positive thing,” he added. “And look, the people who are serious-minded about policy and process and making this institution run showed themselves. They stepped up and they should be congratulated.”
Marisa Schultz contributed to this report.